Magical Moments and Where to Find Them
by sandcat
Summary: SBOC JPLE a bit RLOC may include characters not dying. There'll be lot's of Marauders, Lily and friends! If they all end up together and manage to forge their own destinies... Do not read! has been abandonned for ages and has gone bad! smells! rots!
1. Of Strange Beginnings

**Hi! my twin and I decided to write this together, it's our first fanfic! (mostly because a friend (Blueholly) showed us this site not too long ago)! There'll be lot's of Marauders, Lily and friends in this. If they all end up together...(that was for the suspense). So, read and tell us what you think! **

**Lily POV**

_September 1st_

_I can't believe what happened today! I met Potter. Well there's nothing incredible about __that, he does make a point of asking me out on a very regular basis. The point is, he was __nice during the whole conversation and nothing exploded, transformed, attacked me, or __acted strangely in any way during that whole time!!! God, I really must be careful!_

Lily stuck a stray strand of wavy, copperish-gold red hair behind her ear and thoughfully twirled her pen with her fingers, letting it drop just as the compartiment door of the train leading them to their sixth year at Hogwarts was flung open with over-enthusiastic force. She suddently gagged for breath as she was swept up in a tight headlock.

"My favourite flower!"

"Sirius Black! it's my friend you're strangling!" cried out Cathleen Kingsley, Lily's best mate apart for Anna-Maria Willows, trying to hide the amusement in her voice.

Cathleen was about five foot six and had chestnut hair that fell in soft curls until her elbows. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue but seemed to get darker when she got angry. She was quite shy and afraid of letting people know too much about her, so she had only had few boyfriends despite her slim figure and lovely face. However, she loved having a good laugh and never revealed secrets. Anna-Maria had light brown eyes with small chips of olive-green in them and waist-lenth brillant black hair. She was a bit shorter than Cathleen and had an rather curvy silhouette that had earned her many admiring looks from boys. Lily would trust both of them with her life.

Sirius let Lily go and sat down beside Cathleen, giving her one of the charming smiles that had earned him the solid reputation of being one of Hogwarts most wanted boys along with James Potter. Their best friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, were also considered handsome (Peter only because he was part of the Marauders), even if they had had less girlfriends and prefered more stable relationships. Lily knew why girls pursued Potter, but even thought he had already asked her out many times, he was too... well... not mature enough... or... maybe it was that he had tricked, teased, and made fun of her for the last five years. Or perharps having so many people praising him all the time had made his head and ego grow so much they really needed a serious deflating.

Lily turned back to what was happening next to her just in time to see Siruis flick a strand of black hair expertly out of his gorgeous gray eyes.

"So, tell me, how come I haven't noticed such a beautiful girl yet? Have you been wearing an invisibility cloak or what?"

Cathleen blushed and glanced down before looking at him again.

"Will you stop that? Be serious! she asked with a small smile. Besides, I'm sure you've allready noticed me, since you hexed me quite a few times in the past years."

"Of course I'm Sirius! Who d'you think I am?" He exclaimed with a wide grin, making her giggle. "Wait a second, it's stifling in here, let's open a window."

Lily raised her eyebrows at that. She didn't think it was very warm. Sirius reached for the window, convieniently ending up a few inches away from Cathleen with his arm over her shoulders.

James Potter and Remus Lupin chose that precise moment to burst in, big grins on both thier faces, and threw themselves in the luggage rack. Cathleen took advantage of the situation to slip away from Sirius, who hurriedly joined his friends, just as the door opened for the third time, revealing a group of pink-and-green striped, softly glowing Slytherins.

"Where are they!!!!!!"

The three girls were overcome by unvoluntary giggles.

"Who?"Managed to choke out rather innocently Anna-Maria.

"You know very well who I'm talking about!" snapped a very angry, not-so-blond-anymore Lucius Malfoy. "So you better tell us or we will hex you," he snarled, reaching for his wand.

Cathleen jumped to her feet and whipped her own wand out, slashing it down at Malfoy.

"Exbotalogius!"

Gray flapping things appeared all over the Slytherins, who hurriedly stumbled back into the corrider, trying to find an empty compartiment.

The Marauders slipped back to the ground, sitting down next to the girls.

"Wow guys! So, who had this brillant idea?" Inquired Sirius.

"Remus did, he invented the spell." James turned toward Lily.

"So Lils, had nice vacations? I heard you went to France? Did you like it there?"

Lily threw him a curious look. He had actually sounded sincere, as if he truly cared. Had he really changed over the summer? She hesitated and then nodded.

"It's perfect, I absolutely loved it, but I didn't understand a single word. I even visited Beauxbatons! It was really pretty, but I prefer good old Hogwarts."

"Where's Peter?" cut in Anna-Maria.

"Went chasing after the candy-wagon," replied Sirius nonchalantely. "By the way, nice bat-bogey Cathleen, I never imagined I'd see you hexing someone."

Cathleen blushed again.

"I think you're rubbing off on me. I seem to be getting as crazy as you..."

Sirius chukled and gave her another one of his famous smiles.

"I think we should start putting our robes on," said Anna-Maria. "Boys, out of here. And Black, I need to talk to you."

She led Sirius out of the compartiment and rounded on him, leaving a few startled persons behind her.

"Sirius Black! If you even dare break my freind's heart, I shall kill you!!!"

"Don't worry darling, you know me," smiled Sirius.

He sauntered off.

"That's exactly the problem!" Yelled Anna-Maria at his retreating back.

She joined Cathleen and Lily and ushered the rest of the Marauders out.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

_Septembre the 1st , **very **late_

_When we got off the train, it was pouring, and the first years looked scared, having to sail __across the lake in this weather; but at least James Potter was not there to push them inside. _

_Let's finish what I was writing earlier. _

_I had just gotten on the platform, a bit too early because I wanted to get rid of my awful __sister Petunia, (honestly, she is a true pain! Same goes for her boyfreind Vernon something. __I pity any child of thiers,with such an heritage), and just as I was rejoicing over seeing __Cathleen and Anna-Maria, hoping they would already be there, I spotted one of the last __people I wanted to see, striding towards me with a big grin on his face. Of course, I did the __only logical thing I could have done and started looking for the dungbomb, or whatever __other stupid prank he was planning._

_"Hey Lily, how are you?" he asked rather nicely, his eyes twinkling, not noticing my __searching look._

_"Fine," I replied nervously.(the only times he had talked to me nicely in the past were when __he asked me out or when I was about to become the innocent victim of one of his __tricks.)"How bout you?"_

_I immediatly regretted this last comment, wich broke rule number one: never encourage __Potter. He does it well enough on his own._

_"Much better now," he replied softly._

_And then, my mouth got away with me and before I could do anything about that, it blurted __out:_

_"Why?"_

_And then,(oh god, this is embarrassing) he ansewered perfectly naturally, as if he does that __every day,_

_"Because I saw you Lily, of course!"_

_That made me go red. I could feel my face burning; why did that have to happen just then? __I blush easily, like Cathleen (Anna-Maria is lucky). Besides, he was just joking... __Deciding it would be best to change the subject, I mentioned (rather offhandedly, I __hope)(thought probably not, as this is me we're talking about) a __subject I was sure he would catch onto immediatly._

_"Did you go to the Quidditch World Cup this summer?"_

_Touché. His face lit up._

_"Of course I did! Did you? It was absolutely, spiffingly great! Too bad England lost... Did __you see it?"_

_"In fact, I did, due to the immense pressure Anna-Maria stiffled me with until I agreed to go. __And I didn't even regret it! Remember when the keeper got hit with the beater's bat after it __was victouriously thrown in the air at the end of the match?"_

_(by then I had given up looking __for a so-called joke and had actually admitted he was just being nice to me)_

_Well, after that, we just continued talking until I spotted my friends and ducked away. Gosh, __he's grown even more handsome over the summer. Wait. Did I just write that down? _

_Scratch it. Maybe he's really changed?_

"Lilykins!" James Potter looked at her incredously. "Is that a diary?"

_Scratch that too!!!_

"...No...it's a... Textbook!"

He smiled arrogantly. She just hated it when he did that! Apparently she had been wrong. He hadn't changed. Had he?

"Can I look at it then?" he smirked.

James should have known better. Lily slowly got to her feet, her eyes blazing.

"Get the hell out of here before I hex you _Potter_!"

"Aaah, lylikins is getting mad? D'you really think you can be faster than me _Evans_?"

He grinned and got closer to her, a superiour smile on his face. Lily cracked.

"What the?"

He was hanging in the air, suspended by his ankle, his wand resting on the floor just out of reach.

"Non-verbal spells Potter... And did you really think you were the only one capable of using levicorpus?"

She marched up the stairs to the dormitory.

"Hey! Evans! Lily! Get me down!!!"

"I think I'll just leave you there... until next summer?"

Lily stiffled a victourious smile and left the common room.

"Lily! Please! Lilykins? Lily-flower? Come on! Are you even listening to me???"

**So, did you like it? Want more? To tell us about it, just press that big purple button that's ****there just for that!!! **


	2. A Marauder Sorting

**All right, the wait may have been long, sorry about that... but we were on vacation and didn't manage to get our hands on a computer until a week ago! Thanks for the review(s)!!!**

**Cathleen POV**

Cathleen stared in surprise as Anna-Maria practicly dragged Black out of the compartiment. Anna-Maria had a rather feiry temper, but she had never gotten mad with a reason that her friends couldn't understand-at least not yet-. So when she angrily pulled her robes out of her trunk Cathleen winced and mouthed:

_"What's the matter with her?!" _At Lily, who shrugged back, a rather puzzled look on her face.

However, Anna-Maria spotted Cathleen and rounded on her.

"And _you!!!!! _Just_ how _can you be so bloody _nice_ to that guy! He and his bloody _friend _have been pranking and tricking you for five whole fucking _years_!!!"

"But he hasn't pranked me yet this term..."

"And maybe that's because term hasn't even started yet?! Why, just why, are you so shy and sweet? Please tell me you can _at least_hold a grudge!!!" Anna-Maria took a few deep breaths, looking calmer. "Well that feels better. Sorry for shouting at you... Just be careful around him, ok?"

Cathleen (who still hadn't really understood what was going on) shrugged and nodded before following her two friends out of the train. She absent-mindedly patted the wierd horse thing pulling the carriage as she passed, earning herself a pleased snort and nearly being knocked over as it nudged her in what it seemed to consider an affectionate sort of way.She turned around to find her friends looking at her strangely.

"Er...Cathleen? What exactly happened?" asked Lily.

"I just patted the horse, she protested, I mean it does pull this carriage, it deserves a thanks. Er...Why are you guys looking at me like that? It's freaking me out."

"We don't see anything. What does it look like?"

"Black, shiny, with fangs."

"That's a thestral," immediatly put in Lily, sounding as if she'd swallowed the whole Care of Magical Creatures book and was regurgigating it in front of them. "You can only see them if someone has died in front you. They never get lost and are very useful as they can cary enormous loads."

Anna -Maria groaned.

"Please Lily! It's the last no school, no work day for almost a year!"

They bickered good-naturadly all the way up to Hogwartsl, choosing seats where they had a good view of the first-years filing in, staring nervously around them. Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on the stool and backed away. Everyone stared at it as it opened a fold and started singing (very off-key).

_Oh I'm but the very first_

_of a painful series of tests,_

Cathleen frowned. This was not normal. She started scanning the students.

_You will have to uptake_

_if you wish to be sorted,_

_You must wrestle a troll_

_and banish a banshee_

_Swim through the lake_

_fight acromantula,_

The poor first years looked terrified, she noted absent-mindedly.

_Then those still alive_

_they will be sorted in_

_loyal and hard-working Hufflepuf_

_where they will find friends,_

The Hufflepufs beamed.

_sharp and witty Ravenclaw_

_if they have a thirst of learning,_

The Ravenclaws looked pretty pleased also.

_brave and daring Gryffindor_

_where dwell those of good heart,_

She immediatly started looking for the Marauders.

_And if you're seriously evil_

_that leaves stinking Slytherin,_

_In the dark arts till their overlarge noses_

Aha! There they were!

"Accio wands!"

As soon as their wands flew out of Potter's and Black's grasp, the Sorting Hat went silent and started singing the right song after a few seconds, to the very great relief of the first years. Cathleen threw them an encouraging smile wich they hung onto as if they were drowning. As soon as it'd finished, (there had not been many Slytherins that year...) Dumbledore got up and swept the great hall with twinkling eyes.

"So, after that very interesting bit of entertainement," (his eyes flashed toward the Marauders, who managed to put on such innocent faces that Filch would not have looked at them twice had they been waving dungbombs in front of his nose.) "I shall have but three words for you : Shall we feast?"

There were deafening roars and cheers as the plates loaded themselves with food.

"Merlin, I was waiting for this since we went out of the carriages," sighted Anna-Maria happily.

Suddently Cathleen felt someone tapping her shoulder.

"Give us our wands back! snapped a rather irate James Potter. You don't have the right to take them!"

"And why exactly?" She answered furiously. "So you can terrorize the poor firsties even more."

"You can't take my wand away," he hissed. "I'm a Marauder!"

"And a complete dunghead!" she snapped angrily.

Did he really think being a « marauder » gave him the right to do anything?

"Sod off now, or I'm putting you on detention!"

"You can't!" he countered. "You're no prefect."

"Oh, sorry!" she smiled sweetly, fished her badge out of her pocket and pinned it on her robes. "Sod off!"

She watched him angrily stomping up to his « partner in crime » and grumbling something angrily. She turned back towards her friends, feeling a sudden tickling sensation that warned her she had been hexed.

"What happened this time?" She asked with dread, trying to remove the chuckles echoing in the hall from her mind.

Lily looked at her and winced.

"Your hair became a very obvious sort of neon-orange and is standing up stick-straight."

She took her wand out of her robes and pointed it at Cathleen's hair, muttering a spell. She felt something fall on her shoulders.

"It's still the same colour thought," Lily excused herself. "You should go to Madam Pomfrey, she'll be able to fix it."

Cathleen shook her head determindly and swollowed another forkful.

"I'm not letting them know they got to me!" she hissed.

Hearing more barely concealed giggles sweeping the hall she sighted and changed her mind. How was it that just when she had started thinking Sirius Black could be close to decent, something like this had to happen? She pushed her plate away and got to her feet, before striding out, trying hard to look as if she didn't care. When she finally passed the doors and started going down a corridor, she heard running footsteps behind her.

"Oi! Kingsley!" shouted a voice she knew all too well.

_"What_!" she answered angrily, whirling around. The last thing she needed now was Black. "Come to _hex me_? _Curse me_? You have been doing so ever since I _met_ you!"

"In fact..." he began, before she interupted him,

"Listen Black, just for once, leave me alone will you? The last thing I need right now is you to make a fool of me in front of the whole school. _Please_ leave me _alone!"_

He stopped trying to follow her.

"I just wanted to tell you," he said quietly, before turning and disappearing in the Great Hall, "that the countercurse is _Finite Colourem."_

She frowned. How come he had just told her that? But maybe it wasn't the truth. Maybe it was just something that made it go even worse. Like flashing or changing colour every now and then...What was she supposed to do? Try or not? She grabbed her wand and directed it toward her hair.

"To hell with it!" she grumbled. "_Finite Colourem!"_

She felt a slight tingling and made a lock of hair fall in front of her eyes. It had worked! Not feeling like going into the Great Hall just then, she slipped behind the statue of Simeon the Slightly Befuddled, passed the curtains and sat on the windowsill, pondering on what had just occured.

**Sirius POV**

Sirius stomped in the great hall, his mind full of a whirlwind of thougts. _She looked ready to cry! I didn't know our teasing had hurt her so much! Well, some of our jokes were a bit humiliating, but we usually picked on Lily or Anna-Maria more than on her! _He let himself fall beside James.

"Just sod off her okay?"

Potter frowned.

"Why? She confiscated our wands! I mean..." he trailed off under Black's glare.

"Look Prongs, just sod off her!"

"Okay, okay."

Sirius stared at his plate a few seconds before getting up again.

"I'm not hungry anymore."

He stomped out of the great hall followed by the quizzical looks of James and Remus.

"Can someone explain what just happened? Padfoot usually eats _three _servings plus dessert!"

Lupin shrugged, looking puzzled.

Sirius tore aside the curtains behind the statue of Simeon the Slightly Beffudled and stopped short.

**Cathleen POV**

The curtains were suddently wrenched apart and she found herself looking up in the startled face of Sirius Black. Before he had the time to back off, she quickly blurted out:

"Er, just... Black, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have gotten angry at you. Sorry?"

He looked at her rather strangely. _Merlin's beard, what did I say wrong this time? _

"YOU'RE sorry? God, _we've _been hexing you for five years and _you're_ sorry! Listen Cathleen, I'm sorry!"

Cathleen blushed and he sat down beside her on the large cushions.

"So, how did you find out about this place?"

"Well...(she blushed a bit more) I was looking for a place to be alone sometime in second year, after you'de... well..."

"Pranked you," finished Sirius.

"Yeah. How 'bout you?"

"Lucius Malfoy cursed me back in first year and I passed through the curtains... It was quite funny really, he hadn't seen where I'd gone because of the light from the spell and was looking for me all over the place..."

"He cursed you in first year? But he was in second year! Besides, you should already know each other, since you both come from rich pureblood families!"

She immediatly saw Black's face darken and understood she must've mentioned a wrong subject.

"My _family, _he spat, all hate me and haven't given me a single galleon since first year. Except for Uncle Alphard, he's the only decent one in the lot... along with Andromeda Tonks... Anyways, when I got sorted in Griffindor, I practicly recieved a Howler!"

"Oh! sorry..."

"Not your fault..."

She hastily cast her mind around for a less delicate subject and they were soon talking quite freely.

**All right, this is it! Sorry again for the wait (a free (fictional) chocolate bar or brownie or ice cream with sirup and sprinkles for our reviewer(s)!!!**

**love, Sandcat. **

_**COMING SOON: CHAPTER THREE!!!**_


	3. Early Birds get the Worms

**All right, here it is, chapter three!!! (wild clapping) thanks to lily-james123 for the reviews! (that means we have three reviews now, YAY!!!) Talking about reviews, about 90 of you checked this story and 1 reviewed. So please, please, pretty please, I'm starting to ramble now, _JUST REVIEW!!!!!!! _sincerely hoping you got the point,**

**Sandcat**

After a while, Cathleen tiredly got up and sighted.

"Well, that was nice, but it's getting rather late and Anna-Maria loves waking us up at ungodly hours like five o'clock."

Sirius looked slightly disappointed but glanced at his watch and smiled.

"Yeah, plus it _is_ already eleven thirty..."

"_What!!! _That means we're up after hours! Merlin's beard, What am I going to do! First day at Hogwarts and I manage to land myself in detention! _What are you laughing at? "_

"Calm down! You won't land in detention unless we get caught (he was looking rather puzzled at her reaction), which won't happen, and besides, detention isn't so bad, is it?"

_"_Speak for yourself! I've never landed myself in one!"

Sirius gaped.

"_Never_? You never got _one measly detention_?! Potter and I broke the school record at the end of last year!"

Cathleen stared daggers at him and he smiled.

"Well, never mind. Just follow me and don't make a sound. But it would be fun seeing you in detention... Just kidding," he added hastily.

He caught on to her hand and pulled her in the corridor before she wrenched it out of his grip. For a moment, she thought he looked rather hurt, but his face immediately changed back to its laughing self.

"Just follow me, all right?" he whispered at her.

Cathleen nodded and tiptoed nervously after him, feeling as her stomach was filled with tap dancing butterflies. The corridors were layered with patches of moonlight and every looming shadow that may have come from a teacher or Filch made her heart skip a beat. She threw an envious look at Sirius, who looked as if he was strolling to one of his classes except for the fact that he wasn't making a noise. Her gaze was attracted to a vaguely human form in a corner and she bumped into Black. He turned toward her, still looking rather amused, and lifted a tapestry, motioning her to go forward. Cathleen stared at a very solid-looking stone wall and turned toward him. _Does he expect me to walk through the wall? Am I just going to bump into it and look ridiculous? I manage that well enough on my own... _She was in the middle of deciding whether she should trust him or not when he rolled his eyes and walked forward, followed by her a second later. She was not going to stay out there alone with Filch on the rampage!

A rather moist passage extended into darkness, its walls covered with blackish fungi. _Apparently Filch doesn't know of this passage... it'd be clean if he did..._

"Wow, when did you find this place?"

Sirius grinned.

"What d'you think I do at night? Sleep?"

"Yeah, that would have been my first guess... I really hope there aren't any spiders here... I hate spiders. And ants."

Black looked up.

"Er..."

The ceiling was draped with thick white cobweb where black dots were scuttling back and forth. Cathleen whimpered and went closer to Sirius, who hastily pointed his wand at the ceiling.

"_Evanesco_!" Any trace of spider disappeared. "C'mon..."

"So? D'you know many other places like this?" Cathleen looked impressed.

"Sure. I know all of them."

He stopped short.

"Oh shit. You're not afraid of heights are you? Looks like the floor caved in..."

She peeked over his shoulder. _Merlin, does he really think I'm was able of leaping that far?_

"Let's turn back."

He had already crossed.

"Can't. Its a one-way passage."

Cathleen swallowed and closed her eyes.

"Black, if I get across that alive, you are so going to die," she informed him.

She jumped.

"Whoa, careful!" A pair of arms caught her just before she hit the ground. "See? You jumped at least twice the distance!"

"Well..." she suddenly giggled. "That was kind of fun..."

"Now that's the spirit!"

They emerged from behind a portrait just in front of the Fat Lady and rapidly crossed over to the common room.

"'Night Cathleen! See ya tomorrow!"

"Yeah, g'night." She hid a smile and climbed up to the girl's dormitory.

**Sirius POV**

As soon as he turned around, he gaped.

"Er, James, what are you doing upside down?" he managed to choke out.

"Just get me down!" hissed James angrily. "Don't stand there gawking!"

Sirius crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Padfoot mate what are you doing._ Get. Me. Down!"_

"Shut up Prongs! You're ruining the moment! I need to remember this so I can tell your children!" stated Sirius obviously.

James swore loud enough to wake up the whole school (literally).

**James** **POV**

James let his head drop on his arms and closed his eyes. Merlin, why had Sirius woken him up so early? He had mentioned something about taking an early start, and they didn't even have classes! Something definitively weird was happening...He blinked and stifled an enormous yawn.

"Padfoot..."

Sirius kept staring at the doors to the great hall.

"Sirius..."

Nothing happened. James frowned at the doors also. What was so interesting about them?

"OI! BLACK!"

He grinned as Sirius jumped and turned toward him, looking guilty. James opened his mouth, then shut it immediately. Lily Evans had just walked inside the Great Hall, looking stupendous. How did she manage to walk so gracefully? And her eyes where this wonderful, bright, soft emerald color...could emeralds even look soft? Probably not...Really green was such a wonderful color finally.. well not Slytherin green, just this green...

"James..." came Remus's voice.

"Yeah?"

And her eyes went really well with her bright hair...

"I was wondering," continued Remus loudly, "if you where going to just sit here and stare at Lily till next year."

She was really pretty when she got angry and hung him up by the ankle, with her cheeks flushed up...

"Er, what did you say?"

"I said, STOP STARING AT _LILY!!!!!" _he yelled.

James went beet red as everyone started and turned toward him.

He frowned as Sirius sauntered over to the girls and grinned easily at Cathleen Kingsley. What was he up to this time? He thought anxiously, hurrying after him.

"So," Sirius asked Cathleen easily, "fancy coming to watch Quidditch tryouts? First years always show up and finish by falling off their brooms. Don't worry," he added quickly, noticing her horrified face, "we've only had a few broken bones so far."

"And _that _is supposed to make us feel better?" He heard Lily answer.

"Yeah come on," said Anna-Maria, "it is fun, and that prat is exaggerating. No one broke anything during tryouts."

James saw Cathleen glance hesitantly outside and smile.

"I suppose I'll come..."

He inwardly leaped with joy. Now that she had agreed, Lily couldn't not go with her! He forced himself to look matter-of-fact and absentmindedly ruffled his hair.

"So Lily? You coming?"

Lily nodded.

**Lily POV**

_September 2nd_

_Potter surprised me again. Even thought I blew a fuse yesterday and hexed him, he didn't even childishly "avenge" himself (I have to admit that I rather expected to be pranked). Instead, he acted as if his ego was a normal size! I mean, isn't that frankly strange? Merlin, I really must find out what this is all about. I'm supposed to be watching tryouts but I got bored. I mean, can't these people understand that my life doesn't revolve around the stupid game? All right, it's not the only thing they care about, but I sometimes do have that impression. Anyway. As soon as we got to the pitch, Black and Potter started trying to sort through all the candidates. As it apparently isn't an easy job, I started staring at the scenery. This early, the grass is all dewy and shiny. The sunlight is still very soft but it seems to be so full of future warmth that I feel in top form just by staying out here! But I got my shoes wet while crossing the pitch and now my feet are probably wrinkling up. Why can't everything be perfect._

_Sirius Black is flying across the pitch toward us, looking just as handsome and cool as usual. Does he really think that having black hair, gray eyes, and an aristocratic face (plus coming from a stupendously rich entirely pureblood family) gives him the right to never look frankly frazzled like the rest of us mortals?_

"Black."

"Heya Lily, what are you scribbling down in that diary again? I don't know if you've noticed, but tryouts have just finished."

Lily looked back up from her bag and noticed that Potter had joined Black, a rather disappointed look on his face.

"You weren't watching? Never mind (his face had broken into that famous "potter smile" that meant he was ready to surprise someone and that Lily knew only too well.) D'you wanna have a ride on my broom?"

"Er... I don't really like brooms..."_ Why does he have to look so horrified?_

"You don't like _Brooms?!_ But they're the one of the best things in the whole world! C'mon, you absolutely have to change your mind! How can someone not like brooms!"

_Merlin, that guy is crazy._

"Potter, if I never got on one of those things since first year, it's because you and Black dive bombed Cathleen and I the first time we tried flying!"

**Sirius POV**

_"_But that was for fun! he explained obviously. We weren't about to hit you! Those school brooms are so slow we couldn't touch you if we wanted to!"

"And how was I to guess that?" Lily answered sarcastically. "Maybe it _was _fun...for _you!"_

Sirius frowned.

"Ok, maybe you would want to try, Cathleen?" he asked.

"Er...I'm a bit scared of heights..."

"Never mind!" he exclaimed happily, pulling her on the broom. "We won't go very high. Come on!"

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter 3! Next one may be from...Anna-Maria's POV? A bit of Cathleen maybe? Just check and see!**

**Thanks to all those who had the courage to hang on till here and to the wonderful people who reviewed (or will review).**

**Disclaimer: We are not JK Rowling (obviously) so everything she owns belongs to her only and everything we own, well...is ours.**

**See ya! (literally)**

**Sandcat**


	4. Essays, Notes and Letters

**So, here we are again, with a desperate need for reviews ( by the way, a huge thanks to blueholly, The Fiffth Marauder (previously lily-james123), VJL and Ithril S. for their wonderful reviews). So sorry we took that long to update but we had a small case of writer's block. So if anyone finds any errors just tell us, Ok? On with the chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Anna-Maria POV**

This was impossible. Really. How where you supposed to tell the difference between wormwood and asphodel when there was none? Let alone write an entire essay about it. Anna-Maria sat down in the library and started trying to concentrate on her work.

A few hours later, an extremely frustrated Anna-Maria slammed the twenty-fourth book she checked shut and leaned back, massaging her temples in an effort to alienate the pounding headache that seemed determined to split her head apart. She suddenly froze. She felt someone behind her. She turned around and looked right in the smirking face of...

"Black."

Bellatrix Black ( holding her wand ostentatiously) motioned her two cronies forward. Anna-Maria felt her nerves thrum. Nott and Malfoy. She had little chance of getting out of this.

"Well... What are you doing here? All alone?" Bellatrix hissed.

"Get out of my way Black, I'm not looking for trouble."

She let her hand slip in her robes.

"Aaaah, is the little Gryffindor afraid? I thought you had to be courageous to be sorted in there?"

Anna-Maria narrowed her eyes.

"Look who's talking," she jeered. "You can't even talk to me without your bodyguards."

Malfoy looked outraged.

"Don't you even dare insult me, you dirty little blood traitor! I come from one of the oldest and purest families! We have the whole ministry in our pocket!" He smirked. "Which," he added, "cannot be said of you."

Her already short temper flared.

"At least I'm not an arrogant nasty good-for-nothing Slytherin who counts on family relations to get what his brains can obviously not!"

He blanched.

"You ugly... you... _Furnuculus_!"

"_Protego! Illiverate!"_

Malfoy whirled and went crashing in the bookshelves, receiving a shower of rather dusty, heavy schoolbooks Anna-Maria had been consulting on top of his head. She saw Bellatrix and Nott rush forward out of the corner of her eye and was readying herself for whatever curse they where going to throw her way when they were interrupted by the loud noise of a small half dozen hexes going off at once.

When the smoke had cleared she glimpsed three inanimate bodies on the ground as Sirius Black strode forward and gallantly extended his hand (she could see the rest of the Marauders grinning behind him).

"What do you want Black?" She asked him warily.

"Just aiding a damsel in distress!" he retorted. "And don't pretend you're not happy to see me."

"Who used bat-bogey?" asked Potter loudly.

Sirius raised his hand.

"I took a leaf out of Cathleen's book."

"Looks like it should'nt be mixed with jelly-legs," he declared pointing at a sort of wierd, gooy-substance covered, vaguely human shape lying on the ground.

All the boys fell over laughing under the irate gaze of Anna-Maria.

"It is not funny!"

"Yes it is!" Managed to choke out Lupin.

"Don't worry honey," exclaimed Sirius, "Poppy 'll probably get them right within a week or two!"

"Errrr, who's Poppy?"

"Sirius's unofficial adoptive mother, Madam Pomfrey," explained James as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Um... guys," stated Peter, "this is interesting and all but we really should get going. Madam Pince 'll be here any minute now."

"Right," said Black hurriedly. "Come with us, ok?"

They rapidly filed out of the library and walked up to their common room.

"Ok boys," said Anna-Maria, "I suppose as you helped me out I owe you a favor."

"Really?" asked James.

"Wich does not involve slipping Lily a love potion," she added, glimpsing his hopeful face. "However...I can give you a few suggestions. First: Lily loves chocolate. Second: Stop cursing everyone in front of her, you prat! Third, her birthday is on the 23third of November."

He whooped and swept her in a hug.

"Come on you!" he shouted, punching Remus on the arm. "Gotta go find Lilykins a gift!"

"Fourth, _stop calling her Lilykins!"_

He winked at her.

"Don't worry your head over it!" he exclaimed. "She just pretends she doesn't like it!"

Anna-Maria groaned. He really was a hopeless case.

"So what about Cathleen?"

It was, predictably, Sirius.

"I told you, _don't go near my friend!"_

"You still owe me a favor," he retorted, unabashed.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

**Class notes**

L: What happened last evening?

A-M:What are you talking about?

C: You guys should learn how to throw papers. I'm sure you were not aiming at my head, Lily. And pay attention to Binns for once. Then you could maybe pass the class.

L: Who cares about History of Magic, miss I-get-outstanding-in-everything.

C: That was way below the belt.

**Sirius: You know, Cathleen is right about learning to throw papers. That one ruined our game of exploding snap!**

**Remus: Not as if Binns would notice.**

**James: Hey Lily, I really like your hair...**

**Peter: James! You always like Lily's hair. Anyway, I can tell you what happened yesterday!**

C: I told you so.

A-M: Hey Lily, I bet you're blushing.

L: I did not blush!

C: Liar.

L: You don't talk to your friends like that! You wounded my self-esteem very very deeply!

A-M: Lily, you should honestly take paper-throwing lessons.

C: So anyways, what happened last night?

A-M: Just a run-in with a few Slytherins.

L: Oh. I'm disappointed.

**Remus: Of course you're disappointed Lily! She did not mention our courageous rescue!**

**James: Did you really blush? You know, you're pretty when you blush.**

**Sirius: Not nearly as pretty as Cathleen thought...**

**James: No.**

**Sirius: Yes.**

**Peter: Stop that. Don't worry girls, they're not that immature all the time.**

**Remus: Just 99 of it.**

**Cathleen POV**

_He didn't write that. He didn't. I'm never going to be as beautiful as Lily. He's just making fun of me as usual. Probably enjoying my embarassement also. Yeah, there he is, staring at me. So he thinks that's discreet? Honestly, he should get himself checked._

Cathleen nervously scribbled a few sentences about Grindewald on her parchment and checked Lily reading the boy's answers out of the corner of her eye. Luckily the bell rang so she stuffed the parchment in her bag and ran to join her friends.

"What've we got now?" questionned a sleepy Anna-Maria.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Oh Merlin," whined Anna-Maria, "why isn't it Divination, _then_ I could have gone back to sleep...plus a new teacher every year is boring. I wonder what this one'll be like. Hopefully someone who knows his job."

"He can't be worse than the first one in second year," retorted Cathleen.

"The one who transfigured himself into a toad?" asked Lily. "I heard he's still in St Mungo's. Can't stop croaking."

"Poor chap," added Anna-Maria in an entirely unconvincing tone of voice.

Suddenly Lily stopped short.

"Oh no..."

Cathleen glanced over her shoulder and saw Susan McKinnon sobbing uncontrolably, a crumpled letter clutched in her hand. _I saw this before. It's always the same. She needs help, why are they all gawking at her as if we were in a zoo? _She hurried forward and draped an arm around Susan's shoulder's.

"Come on, you have to get to the Hospital Wing," she whispered. "Madam Pomfrey will give you something, it's going to be all right...don't worry."

Leading Susan gently away from the crowded corridor she continued repeating the same words time and time again until the other girl's sobs had quietened to a light hiccuping. They were almost there by then, so she allowed herself the luxury of kindly (she hoped) asking if she could see the letter, wich was immediatly shoved into her hand.

**Dear Mrs Mckinnon,**

**It is our sad duty to inform you of the untimely passing of Mr Mattew and Mrs Florence Mckinnon in the course of their duty. We assure you we shall do our best to catch the people responsible and extend you our deepest condoleances.**

**The Ministry of Magic**

_It must be her parents, no wonder she was wailing in the middle of the corridor! I should really give the Ministry a piece of my mind, informing of loved one's passing like that! Are they even human? Oh, here we are. At least she's Ok now._

"What is it my dears?" anxiously questioned Madam Pomfrey, rushing over to them.

Cathleen queitly explained and handed her the letter before being ushered off by the kindly nurse with a huge bar of chocolate « for being a nice young girl ». Now she understood why Black came here often. She was goind to be late to class, she realised, checking her watch. She should hurry.

A few minutes later, the door of the class swung open just as she reached it.

A tall gray-haired professor with a rather eagle-like nose who seemed to have been broken once looked up from the class list he had been consulting.

"Ah, you must be Mrs. Kingsley then. Could I know where you were?"

"I brought Susan to the Hospital Wing sir."

"All right, have seat next to Mister Black then."

**End of chapter 4. **

**Disclaimer: We do not own HP.**

**We really hoped you liked it and will not deprive yourselves of telling us so (hint to review)**

**Yours faithfully,**

**Sandcat**


	5. Of Midnight Wanderings

**Very boring disclaimer you can probably skip: We do not own anything JK does, only the rest. **

**So, here is chappie 5! By the way, do you prefer James or Sirius parts? Or both? Drop in a review to tell us what you think!**

**Thanks a bunch to The Fiffth Marauder and Maraudersfriend who reviewed chapter 4!**

**Lily POV**

Lily threw Cathleen an amused look. Poor her, having to sit next to Black. She turned back towards Professor Tom Alexanders, who had just finished pulling a small but heavy trunk in the classroom. He straightened up and Lily saw his gaze linger on the Marauders, who were too busy plotting something to notice.

"Very well class, in this trunk is the magical illusion of a dementor. It shall affect in the same way its real counrpart would, but it cannot harm you all right? As I am sure you have all guessed, you shall be practicing your Patronuses."

The students all craned their necks to stare at the trunk, whispering excitedly to each other and all in all not paying too much attention to their teacher. However, the conversations gradually died down as the sixth years noticed that Professor Alexanders had stopped talking.

"Better," he agreed. "Now, wave your wands thus."

He flicked his wand in front of him and shouted:

"_Expecto Patronum!"_

A huge silvery hawk erupted from his wand tip and dived at the students before dissipating. All the students obendiently waved their wands about, shooting silver substance across the room, when a loud hiss preceded a noisy explosion of multicolored sparks that turned everything they touched to flash different colours and cartwheel around the classroom.

"Now now, that will really not do the trick," said an amused professor after having narrowly avoided a madly spinning and very unhappy Amos Diggory.

He muttered a lenghty incantantation and the chaos faded away.

"How did you do that?" questioned an awed Sirius Black. "We spent months developing those!"

Lily raised her eyebrows. That was a good way to hand yourself in on a gilded platter.

"As impressed as I am by wour witty craftmanship, mister..."

"Sirius Black, sir."

" ...I wonder if my class is the best of places to try it out?"

"Well, you see Professor, Minerva would have already put us on detention."

"You surely mean Professor McGonnagall," he asked with a twinkle in his eyes. "I shall indeed not put you in detention. In fact, ten points to Gryffindor for that impressive piece of magic but try to avoid other such shows in the future."

"Yes sir," chorused four respect-filled Marauders.

By the end of the class, a few of the students ( including Cathleen, Sirius, and a still glowering Amos Diggory) had managed to produce a corporeal patronus while the copious amounts of silver mist floating across the room had become a lot denser.

"For homework, you have to look up information on dementors. I will not be verifying if you completed the assignement, but as the world out there exists, I suggest you do it. Class dismissed."

"He's the best teacher ever," Lily heard Black shout reverently once in the corridor.

She smiled at that. _Looks like Sirius finally found a teacher he respects enough to call sir. Well, except Dumbledore, but he isn't really a normal person._

_September 3rd _

_I am currently sitting in the Great Hall, rejoicing over the fact that James hasn't asked me out yet. Wait. Since when do I call him James? _

_Potter._

_His name is Potter._

_It will stay Potter._

_So, anyways, speaking of him, there he is. He must have been out flying, because he is rather wet. He looks quite cute with his hair plastered all over his face and not wearing that unbearable arrogant look. His friend Black is with him (as usual) and shooting that « I'm Sirius Black » smile around the Hall. I bet they'll sit down right here and start eating like there was no tomorrow. They certainly seem to be intending to do so._

Lily glared at Black, watching one of his girl fans rush over to him to start swelling his ego even more. She was, however, rather surprised when he brushed her off and dropped down beside Cathleen, who immediatly became a bit pink around the cheeks.

Lily dropped her fork on her plate with a clatter.

This was impossible. Her friend was not falling for Sirius Black. Not after they transfigured her in a niffler back in third year. Certainly not after they slipped her an Amortentia potion that made her frantic about Professor Flitwick. Absolutly not after they spent almost every month at Hogwarts turning her a different colour.

She was dreaming.

**Cathleen POV**

James Potter's eating habits were an impressive sight. How could anyone manage to fit so much food in his mouth and talk around it?

"Hey," said Sirius, glancing aroud him nervously.

"No Padfoot, it's not her." she heard Potter say in a tired tone of voice. "When will you dump her?"

"I don't know," the other boy moaned back, "how d'you dump someone when don't even their name? I'm almost sure it's Elizabeth, thought."

"Caroline," groaned Cathleen.

"What?"

"Caroline, her name is Caroline!"

"Oh, thanks Cathleen."

"Do you guys even care about girl's feelings?"

"It depends which girl," they immediately answered before she noticed Sirius hastily changing the subject.

"So what happened to Susan anyways?"

"Her parents were killed by Voldemort's Death Eaters", she replied sadly. "She just got the letter."

Black paled visibly.

"Merlin..."

He looked as if he was thinking about something definitively not pleasant, gazing unfocusedly at his plate.

Lily shut her diary with a final snap, making her wince, and dragged her away by the arm all the way up to their dormitory.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

Cathleen yawned. She couldn't seem to fall asleep and her eyes apparently didn't want to shut...maybe a night-time stroll would help, and it was tantalizing to explore the passage Sirius had shown her again.

She silently passed the sleeping forms that were her roomates and padded out in the hallways, giggling silently at the fact that after six years of never breaking the rules this was the second time she was out of bed in less then a week.

While she was lingering by the statue of a hump-backed witch she noticed a slumped form lying against a wall. This had to be a human, she decided, trying to pierce the darkness as she approached. The shape gave a sort of jerk that uncovered its face, which made her jump backward, clamping both hands over her mouth.

"Sirius?"

"Who're you?" he asked, slurring his words.

Merlin, he was drunk!

"Cathleen," she answered cautiously, "you know me."

A look of recognition crossed his features.

"Was afraid you were Filch."

A bottle of Firewhiskey dropped to the ground as he tried to get up.

"How much have you already drunk?"

_I have to get him to the dormitory. If he's caught in this state he'll be suspended for sure, even thought it would be the first time. Something must have happened for him to be in such a state._

"I dunno...not much...no, two bottles...maybe three."

That was enough to knock anyone out cold!

"Come on. What happened?" she asked, helping him get up and supporting most of his weight.

_Wow, he smells of Firewhiskey miles away._

"When you told me about Susan's parents," he muttered groggily. "I wonder if my _family_ had anything to do with it."

She stayed silent until they were halfway back. _I knew the Black family was bad, but not that much! He looked really serious when he said that. I don't want to be thinking this. And if he wasn't __drunk__ he would never have told me about it._

Black suddenly stumbled sideways and bumped into Cathleen, almost making her fall down and crushing her shoulder.

"Merlin Sirius, you're heavy!" she gasped, trying to regain her balance.

He had a drunken chuckle and she felt him sweep her up in the air and twirl her around wildly before coming to an abrupt stop, bending forward, his face close to hers and she felt his warm (and rather alcohol-laden) breath tickle her ear as he whispered:

"That's not what you say...you say, « you're feather light »."

Cathleen felt heat rush up to her face as she scrambled to her feet, trying to clear her head and to stop the corridor walls from leaning sideways. _He has a really muscled chest and arms, must come from being a beater. Oh no, oh no, bugger, bugger, bugger, he is the heartbreaker of this school, there is no way I am going to fall for him. He would never have acted that way had he not been drunk, he has always ignored me, he always will, those last three days were a fluke, he will forget this, there no way he can remember it._

Sirius stayed quite silent all the way up to the common room, merely tottering once or twice until they got to the common room. _I have to get him to his dormitory. _She managed to get him up the stairs and looked aroud for an empty bed.

"Who's there?" asked a sleepy voice.

_So much for discretion._

She turned around and saw a James Potter with even messier hair then usual slip on his glasses and blink at her.

"James!" she hissed, "help me will you!"

"What're you two doing out together?" he asked with a suggestive quirk of his eyebrow.

Cathleen almost whacked him but thought better of it as she was still supporting Black.

"He's a mess, I couldn't leave him outside!"

Potter groaned and got to his feet, dragging himself over to her.

"What happened? Come on, we need to get him to bed."

"You are going to get him to bed. I've done my part."

"Don't you know why he's like this? It's never happened before."

_I'm not sure Black would want me to tell him... he'll decide when he's normal._

"No..."

She heard Potter sigh.

"Didn't your mother teach you how to lie?"

Her mother...that brought back painful memories, ones she had tried to ignore since second year. There were some sicknesses even magic could not cure. She forced herself to come back to the present.

"Is that really what mothers are supposed to do?" She gestured towards Black, who was soundly sleeping on his bed by then. "You gonna take care of him?"

"Sure! Thought he'll have one hell of a headache when he wakes tomorrow."

**Well, this is it, don't forget to drop in a review and we hope we will have you back next time!**

**Not very original, albeit short, authors note.**

**Love, Sancat.**


	6. Hard Awakenings and Transifuguration

**So... Here we are again!!! Thanks thirty-six hundred times for the reviews (about those, we found a story that has over 1000! Wow!!! Well... let's not be too ambitious...) to The Fiffth Marauder, Maraudersfriend, VJL, Ithril S., Blueholly, and Rhiniel.**

**If you really, really want a disclaimer, check out last chapters. **

**Now, here comes the story (This is where you're all supposed to start cheering) (don't worry, I'm done rambling now)**

**Sirius POV**

Sirius cracked his eyelids open, feeling as if a hundred mad buffalos were galloping in his head. He groaned and dropped back on his pillow. _Shit, what did I do to deserve this... what happened last night? I hope I didn't do anything stupid. _He racked his brains, trying to remember the occurances of the night before, but was cut in mid-thought by a rather worried voice.

"Hey Padfoot, you okay?" asked James Potter. "Wait a minute."

He felt his headache lift and groaned with relief, before registering that James hadn't shouted in his ear as he usally did when Sirius had a hangover.

"Thanks Prongs," he said in a very relieved voice. "That charm is the most wonderful thing in the world."

He frowned.

"So? What happened?"

"Er... I don't know matey, I er... wasn't with you actually..."

_Oh bloody Merlin, bugger, what happened, _he thought with dread. _Did a student find me? I hope not or the whole school will know, and, eventually, the teachers._

"How did I get up here?"

"No idea," answered James smugly, apparently satisfied that Sirius was okay.

"James..." growled Sirius threateningly.

"All right, all right, Kingsley brought you up."

He felt his stomach drop. _Double bloody... What is she going to think of me after having seen me in that state? And I actually thought I had imagined the worst..._

"Cathleen?" he asked hoarsly. "And, er..how did she react?"

"I don't know mate, I already told you I wasn't with you. She did look a bit distressed, by the way, what did you do to her? Just kidding..." he added hastily, having glimpsed the desperate look in Sirius's eyes.

**Lily POV**

Lily glanced at the deep purple circles under Cathleen's eyes.

"Er...Cathleen?" she questioned tentatively, "did anything...serious happen?"

"What? Sirius?" came the sleepy answer.

Lily groaned and hit the table with the book she had been reading, which produced a satisfactory noise loud enough to startle Cathleen out of her lethargy and make her pay attention to Lily.

"You know we have been putting bets on him for the last five years don't you?"

"Don't worry Lily, I don't want to finish like one of those sobbing wrecks I've had on my shoulder. He's way to much of a heartbreaker for me. Speaking about boys," she added snidely, "you aren't considering a certain messy-haired Griffindor Quidditch captain who has been asking you out for the last two years as a date?"

Lily felt herself go a rather soft shade of pink.

"Potter?" she said a bit too carelessly. "He's immature."

She hastily looked around for a diversion. When she found it she actually wished she had not. After all, who would be happy, apart for his fanclub, to see Sirius Black slinking across the hall? Wait. Slinking? Black strutted!

As soon as he spotted Cathleen, he hurried towards her, a rather worried look on his tired face. Lily couldn't help but notice he too sported heavy circles. _What the hell is happening? Did I miss something?_

"Err.. hi Cathleen..."

Lily groaned loudly as Black dropped down beside her friend.

"Hi Sirius," Cathleen replied nervously, staring at her plate. "Are you okay?"

"Listen," he said hurriedly, as if he wanted to get the talk over and done with. "I'm sorry about last night. I just sort of... Well..." He threw a glance at Lily. "What exactly did I tell you?"

Cathleen looked up into his eyes and dropped her gaze again.

"N...nothing. Nothing."

Sirius grabbed her arm, his eyes flinty.

"What did I say?" he asked harshly.

"Just something about your family, a...and Susan, and... that's about all," she answered, wincing at his vise-like grip.

He glanced down at her when he felt her flinch and looked mortified.

"Merlin, Cathleen, I'm sorry," he exclaimed, letting go of her hurriedly, his eyes softening.

He threw a look at Lily and got up.

"You really are the nicest person in the whole world," he told Cathleen quietly, before sitting down beside Potter with a defeated look.

Lily grabbed her books and steered Cathleen out of the great hall before leading her in an empty corridor. _I'm wonder what that was all about... Hell, Black is so scary when he gets angry! And with the reputation his family has... Cathleen really has to be careful. _

"Here," she told Cathleen soothingly. "Tell me what happened."

Cathleen looked hesitant for a few seconds but spoke up.

"Well, yesterday night, I couldn't sleep, so I... went for a walk in the corridors..." She quickly finished telling Lily what had occured, but left out the « feather light » part.

Lily felt dumbstruck.

"He was _drunk! _Cathleen, you have to turn him in!"

"No, Lily, you're my friend, that's why I told you what happened, please don't tell anyone! I know I can trust you."

_I suppose... Oh Merlin... And he did look sincere... _

_"_All right. Don't worry."

Cathleen smiled at her.

"Come on," she said. "We'll be late for class."

Lily glanced at her watch.

"Bloody fucking hell!" she yelled. "I've never been late!"

And she dashed off.

**James POV**

_I can't see Lily...wait...maybe she's late? No, Lily is never late. Oh, first time for everything I suppose, that just was the bell, merlin, what's McGonagall's secret with those looks of hers? She just seems to manage to make everyone shut up without even opening her mouth. Wierd._

_Hey, there she is, with Cathleen! How can she look so pretty, even when she's breathless, panting and blushing. I wonder what she's going to tell McGonagall. What? « I got lost »? Bad one mate. And that's when you notice she's never been late before. I suppose it will be fun seeing McGonagall get angry at someone else for a change, even if it is her. _

_Minute. « Settle down »? That's all? I would've gotten a week's detentions for such a bad excuse! Is she coming here?! There must be an empty seat behind me. No, the only one is beside me. I love McGonagall._

_And...is it my impression or is Lily trying to hide a blush? Ok James, operation witty and intelligent. Or...following Anna-Maria's councels? Try both._

_Er...Find something to say, find something to say..._

"Hi Lily?"

_Oops... Note to self: check for McGonagall before opening my mouth.  
_

"Hello Minerva?"

_Ok, Marauder smile now, you can do this James. Is that quirk at the corner of her lips a smile? Yes! Victory is near, my friends! (Where did I take that from?) Great, she's going away! I really have to consider sending her a birthday gift!_

"So why are you late?" _Perfect, I managed to sound normal. To act as if I'm not trying to show off._

"I was talking to Cathleen. You know..."

"Oh, yeah, that. Is she okay?"

"Sure, except for the fact that Black acted really strangely and I didn't understand anything..."

"What are we supposed to be doing in fact?" he asked, staring at the old piece of hose on the table.

"Transfiguring this hose into a snake, mister Potter, as you would have heard had you not been so busy talking to miss Evans here. Well, carry on."

"Right," said Lily, waving her wand at the hose.

_Apparently, she's not very good at transfiguration, because I don't think she meant it to start shooting water everywhere. But it does seem to have a scale pattern on it, that should count for her. _

James ducked just in time to avoid the arc of water that swept Peter Pettigrew straight off his feet and pushed him in an old and rather rickety glass-fronted cabinet standing against the wall. The disturbance was stopped a few seconds later with a wave of McGonagall's wand.

"Now miss Evans," said the professor, sounding quite flustered, "would you please try again with the correct wist movement? Don't forget that if you want to fulfill your ambition to be an Auror, you need a transfiguration NEWT. I shall be coming back to check on your progress."

And with that, she swept off to repair the damage done to her classroom. James smiled at Lily and fought down a chuckle upon glimpsing the puzzled look she was granting her now inanimate hose with.

"So you wanna be an Auror?"

"Yes... and don't you even try making fun of me about it!"

"It never would have crossed my mind," he declared with a mock-solemn voice. _Looks like Anna's advice is working! She didn't get angry yet!_

"How about you?"

"I was thinking of becoming a professional Quidditch player... but if that doesn't work, I was also considering something along the lines of an Auror..."

"Really?" she suddently frowned. "So tell me, James Potter, what happened during vacation to make you act like a civilized being? You even stopped cursing people all the time! Now you only do so occasionnaly."

James grinned. _Well, definitevly looks like she noticed all my nice efforts... Maybe this year is going to be the year when I'm finally going to manage to make her fall for me! And with all the time I've been spending on trying to get her to do so! And the teasing I've had to endure...Well, I hope it's going to be worth it._

"So Lilyflower, d'you need a hand?"

"Hmhm," Lily agreed moodily.

"The true secret of transfiguration is in thinking you're going to succeed. I mean, if you just wave your wand and mutter an incantation while thinking « This is not going to work », chances are that that's exactly what's going to happen. And also try flicking your wrist in a short movement rather than an elegant flourish. I know those work well at Charms, but not here.

He stopped to notice Lily gaping at him.

"What's the matter?"

"Since when are you a good enough student to know all that?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I do have some of the best grades in class. Anyway, try it."

He watched as Lily concentrated and did the spell.

"Much better, miss Evans," said professor McGonagall sounding satisfied. "Take five points to Griffyndor for that."

James couldn't help but feel his heart lift as Lily threw him a small grateful smile.

**Allright, this is it we really hope you liked it and all that rubbish, but I'm warning you, I'm standing on the windowsill right now, so please review if you don't want to have my blood on your hands! (does this sound a bit too dramatic?) Anyway, reviews are our food, our water, our hope, the thing that keeps us alive and breath... er... updating. Point made? Great. Thanks for getting through my little begging rant!**

**Much love and stuff, Sandcat.**


	7. Of Dares and Unlucky Meetings

**You may have had to wait a bit longer for this but we left for a couple of days. We were also busy writing the first chapter of a POTC oneshot/story (depending on what reviewers say), Whispers of the Waves.**

Cathleen POV

Two weeks had sped past since the start-of-term happenings, during which Sirius and Cathleen had well started on the path to becoming friends, thought he kept trying to get her to break the rules. If she ignored those attempts, she found out that Hogwarts was however a lot less boring when Sirius Black was trying to be your friend...

The fact that shy, rule-abiding Cathleen was hanging around with one of the most out-going boys in the school was surprising, but school gossip didn't marvel too much about it. After all, stranger things were happening at that time, such as the fact that the Slytherins robes changed colours every time they entered the great hall.

Cathleen yawned and absentmindedly jotted down a few notes. They were covering Animagus transformations and she had understood that what seemed to be ages ago, so she was bored.

And instead to paying attention as she normally would have, she was doodling on her piece of parchement. She couldn't help but consider this as one of the side-effects of befriending Sirius Black. She sighed and glanced down at Sirius, noticing he strangely looked rather at ease with the subject too, along with all the other Marauders.

In fact he was looking at her and when he met her eye, he grinned at her and winked. " Bored?" he mouthed, earning a fervent nod. He smiled and pointed his wand at the teachers desk, which immediately turned into an elephant and started stampeding around the room just as the bell rang.

The whole class charged out of the classroom before McGonnagall could start handing out general punishments and Sirius caught up with Cathleen, who immediately collapsed in giggles.

"That was incredible! I mean, it was a rather difficult switch..." she paused a few seconds. "And the look on McGonnagall's face was really worth it! For a few seconds back there I wondered if she would actually explode..." She broke off when she noticed everyone staring at her. "What?"

James looked at her with with a huge grin.

"Well, will you look at that! Cathleen Willows making fun of a teacher! Who would believe that?"

Lily mock-scowled at Cathleen and dragged her off.

O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(A/N : that means change in time)

Cathleen yawned, opened her eyes, and frowned as her runes essay swam into view. She groaned and looked around her. Lily and Anna-Maria had apparently already gone to bed and there only were a few people left in the common room due to the late hour. She rubbed her eyes and froze as Remus's not so enthusiastic voice reached her ears from behind the couch, apparently oblivious to her presence.

"Come on guys, do we really have to do this? I'm a prefect, what if I get caught."

"Moony, you can't break an old Marauder tradition like that you know," replied James excitedly. "And it's gonna be so much fun, Don't you rememer last year?"

"But..."

"No but's," admonished Sirius. "James, produce the map."

Cathleen frowned. _This is starting to sound a bit... not-very-rule-abiding? And we can't afford to lose any house points, not after Filch caught Alice and Frank sneaking off to Hogsmeade..._

She leaned over the back of the sofa and scowled at the boys.

"What exactly are you four up to?" she asked.

Peter toppled over backwards with a surprised ratty squeak and she noticed James whisking something out of sight.

"Nothing that matters to you m'dear," he said briskly.

Sirius regarded her thoughtfully and she felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes met.

"Were you... spying on us?" he asked slyly. "And Prongs is right, it's none of your business," he added, however not sounding angry.

Cathleen felt her cheeks heat up as all three regarded her accusingly and looking a tad amused.

"No I wasn't!" she snapped, not letting herself back out. "I only hoped you would care about not losing points."

"Well you hoped wrong," said James, getting up and smiling down at her.

Cathleen glared up at him as he grinned superiorly, thinking he had gotten the upper hand.

"How about Slytherin winning the Cup? If we lose, they've got more points than Ravenclaw or Huflepuff."

That seemed to get through to him, she pondered, feeling quite self-satisfied.

"That's why we won't get caught," he replied after a moments pause.

"Oh really?"

"Want to come with us?" he asked, apparently expecting her to stutter, say no, and be thrown off-balance.

_Well that is not going to happen,_ she thought fiercely. She pretended to glance at her fingernails, not knowing she looked every inch like cat who had just swallowed a very large canary.

"Let me think..."

Potter smirked, considering this as a way not to lose face too much.

"err... Yes?"

"Wha...?"

Sirius chuckled, then started laughing, quickly joined by Remus and Peter.

"Sorry Prongs," he choked out, "but you really should have seen the look on your face..."

James glowered at him for a few seconds, but soon cracked up in a reluctant smile before mock-bowing in front of Cathleen.

"Milady," he declared in an over-pompous tone, "for having committed a great act of courage by winning a battle of words over one of the fearsome Marauders, I shall have to present you a medal one of these days." He dropped back into normal speech and glanced around him to see if someone was listening. "I have to admit you got out of that quite well... now, you aren't going to chicken out, are you?"

"Of course not!" she answered, slightly affronted.

"Perfect! Meet us here at midnight."

Cathleen nodded and headed towards the girls dormitories, her stomach in a knot. _Merlin's beard, what've I gotten myself into this time? Can't I keep my nose out of trouble nowadays? Bugger. And I can't change my mind can I? What if I get caught? Where will we even go? Wait. _

"Potter! Where are we going?"

Sirius grinned up at her from where he was lounging on a couch.

"We are going for a traditionnal Marauder start-of-term feast in the kitchens," he said nonchalantly.

_"A traditionnal Marauder start-of-term feast?! _Please tell me this is just a bad joke... Wait. That means you'll show me where the kitchens are?"

"Exactly." He looked at her and she thought she saw something she couldn't quite identify in his eyes before he blinked and his gaze became as unreadable as ever.

She nodded, turned around and dragged herself until her bed. The last thing to cross her mind before she fell asleep was: _Bugger_

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

_A broom closet. I'm in a broom closet with the four Marauders. I didn't know broom closets were so small, I need breathing place and an elbow is jutting in my belly, how come I accepted this stupid bet in the first place, I really must be going mad. _

_I must have a personnality problem, this is the other part of me. Oh god I can't control my own body. Or mouth. Shut up Cathleen, you're raving._

"Stop moving, he's getting closer!" someone hissed.

_Stupid bloody prefect who stupidly had to do his stupid bloody rounds just in this corridor?_

"I told you to use the map!" a voice whispered in her ear.

"What map?" she asked blankly.

"Prongs you idiot!" she heard Sirius snap. "I'm here!2

She heard a dull thump.

"Don't call me idiot!" James said in an undertone.

"Ouch James, I didn't do anything," Remus's rather cross voice rose from the shadows.

"Will you guys shut up?" asked Cathleen anxiously. "I don't care about your bloody map but I do care about being caught in a broom cupboard with the four of you."

Sirius's hot breath brushed her ear and she shivered.

"Most girls would be frantic for such an occasion."

She scowled heavily at him even thought he couldn't see her.

"Then go get one of them."

"I like novelty."

She could almost feel the smirk on his face.

"Shut up."

"If you kiss me."

That was too much. Cathleen threw her hand as hard as she could in his general direction, feeling satisfied at the loud slap which ensued her action. For a short while. Very short. Until she heard the footsteps stop.

Everyone froze. The creak of the door opening sounded foreboding and unnaturally loud. And the silence after that was much too silent.

"Get out of there," ordered a very recognizable voice.

"Lily!" shouted James.

Cathleen felt relief surge through her body. Too breifly. What was she going to tell her?

"So. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew. Wait. Cathleen!?! What are you doing here!"

"Er..."

"You should be ashamed of yourself, what were you doing in a broom cupboard with them? Who did you slap?" she asked eagerly.

"Sirius...It was just a bet."

"To slap him?"

"...no...to go to the kitchens."

"You're going to the kitchens?"

"Yes Lilyk..er, Lily. Would you like to come?" supplied James unhelpfully.

_Wonderful Potter. Always knows exactly what to say in order to calm Lily, as it became apparent years ago. _

Lily's hair seemed to crackle with electricity.

"Just pretend you didn't see us please?" asked Cathleen.

Lily shrugged grumpily, then shook her head disbelieviengly at her.

"I can't believe you. Do you expect me to just let you get into trouble alone?"

Cathleen noticed her glancing sideways at James, who was wearing the beffudled expression of someone having just received a heavy blow to the face. _Hmmm..._

**Whispers of the waves is coming off, due to a lack of reviews. Thanks to the two people who did, we will try to change the plot and point of views. The characters, however, will stay the same. But for this story, we checked our hits, we know more than three of you read last chappie and really hope you will do a better job reviewing than last time.**

_**I know this is quite bad,**_

_**But it really is very sad,**_

_**What a poor author has to do,**_

_**Please review please review please review.**_

**Love (yes, despite our complaining),**

**Sandcat ;-)**


	8. An Argument and A Lively Breakfast

**IMPORTANT:**

**Please, we want reviews! They're our writing fuel, we feed on them! Is clicking on a gray/blue/purple button so difficult? Anonymous reviews are welcome, along with constructive criticism. **

**Besides, as English is only our third language after French and our mother tongue (Greek), we need back feed!!! Plus we mix it up with German from time to time. (Gah, I hate German, who invented such a complicated tongue? Full of "hindernisrennen", "Umweltverschmutzung" and other unpronounceable words) ( all right, those aren't the most common words but do you get my point?) PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**Here it is, chapter eight!**

**Cathleen POV**

Cathleen stared at the huge kitchens and let herself be ushered until a table by a few house-elves, where Sirius was seated in front of her. He let a few moments pass before glancing at her.

"What did you slap me for?"

Cathleen hesitated a few seconds then spoke up apologetically.

"You weren't very polite..."

"I'm sorry, all right, but it still wasn't a reason!" he frowned at her.

"You're sorry? That's all? You don't even sound sorry!" she said, looking upset. "You acted like a complete jerk. And right when I was starting to think you might be okay!"

"What! No girl with a bit of sense would have slapped me for that!" he said, sounding hurt.

"Do you mean I don't have a bit of sense?" she asked, getting up.

"No! That wasn't..." he trailed off as she stormed away, a glint of tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean it that way!"

Cathleen whisked through a few passages, trying to keep quiet. The letter she had received from her half-brother, her father hating her, her cat having disappeared a few days ago, and now that piling up on top! She knew she had over-reacted, but she just felt as if she was on the verge of breaking down.

**Sirius POV**

Sirius jumped up and ran out of the kitchens, cursing when all he saw was an empty corridor. He hesitated and stared glumly at a patch of moonlight, trying to crush a growing feeling of guilt. He started when Remus put a hand on his shoulder.

"She isn't like the normal girls you date, you know," he said quietly.

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"Then maybe you should try a different method? Like just being nice and acting like you only want to be her friend? She likes you, you know. Anna-Maria told me so."

Sirius nodded and went back up to the Griffyndor tower, Remus's words having made the situation look less dramatic and already thinking about how he would try to make up the following morning. _Moony's a good friend, no matter what else he is. _He grinned, heartened, and started planning a good prank that would make Cathleen, and the whole school, laugh. He was, after all, a Marauder.

**Lily POV**

_September 19th, around 7 in the morning._

_Cathleen is still sleeping off yesterday's tramp in the corridors, and I really wish I could do the same, but unfortunately I seem to have an internal alarm clock that wakes me up early even when I could sleep late. I don't really regret it, since being a morning person helps take a fresh start for a new day._

_Anyhow. After I found them (them being the Marauders and Cathleen) all piled up in a broom closet ( Merlin, on the spot I never thought I'd look back at it and laugh), James, No, Potter asked me if I would like to come with them. And there, just as I was getting ready to blow up at him, Cathleen distracted me and my anger boiled down enough so that I could seriously consider what Potter had said. _

_I mean, all right, I'm a prefect, but suddently, I just wanted to have a bit of fun, not be considered like "The Girl Who Never Did Anything Wrong". Wait. Did I just write that down? Besides, (oh Merlin, I hope nobody is ever going to read this) James, Potter, looked so eager to be nice with me. And he is rather cute. Bugger. I'm blushing at what I wrote down, but I'm not going to take it back, because it's true._

_We crept down the corridors and used quite a few shortcuts I'd never seen nor heard of before ending up in... a dead-end. Yes, a dead-end. Right when I was about to comment on that, what does Remus do? He leans in and tickles a painting. A bowl of fruits, to be more precise. _

_The pear giggled and swung open to reveal an army of house-elves who welcomed us with squeals of delight. I ended up next to James, (you know what, I'll just drop it and call him James) while platters of sweets and foods and delicious-looking dishes were set down in front of us. _

_I could see Sirius and Cathleen talking towards the end of the table, leading what seemed to be a heated discussion. Peter was wolfing down just about everything he could reach and Remus was staring at the fireplace, apparently deep in thought._

_Just about then James handed me a Butterbeer and leaned against a wall, looking totally at ease. _

Lily lay down her quill and closed her eyes, remembering.

James had then asked her (in a totally normal and even interested voice)

"So Lilyflower, why did you decide to come along and not chuck us in detention?"

To which she had answered (failing to sound annoyed at him)

"Would you put one of your best friends in detention?"

"...No."

She had actually felt at ease back there, she pondered, not stressed or worried about anything, as they had lapsed into comfortable silence until a while later.

"Lily, do you really hate me that much?"

"What? err... y.. no, I mean not really.. I... This year..."

Lily could practically feel heat rush to her face as she struggled with her words when James stepped in and saved her.

"You mean I'm okay this year."

Lily nodded and didn't notice the huge smile that had spread on his face, too busy casting her mind around for another subject. She suddenly frowned.

"Potter, where's Cathleen?"

"With Sirius," he replied absently. "I've got a first name, you know."

"Well, Sirius isn't there either and neither is Remus!"

James blinked.

"They must have left without us noticing," he decided. "Come on, I suppose we have to go too." He sighted and got up, looking disappointed.

They had reached the common room without any problems and Lily, having found Cathleen asleep in her bed, had decided imitating her wouldn't be such a bad idea.

James wasn't so bad after all.

Lily shut her diary and started getting ready for class.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

**Cathleen POV**

Cathleen was finishing her maple syrup covered pancakes when she looked up and let her fork drop down in her plate in astonishment. _Why, just why, has Severus Snape started dancing a jig in the Great Hall? _She blinked as more and more baffled students started merrily dancing along to imaginary tunes and poked Lily, who had been busy scribbling in her diary, in the ribs.

"Mmph," answered Lily, not looking up.

"Time to go," said Cathleen.

Lily shrugged, got up while writing down a last sentence, closed her book and finally threw a look around her, just in time to avoid a snarling and madly waltzing Narcissa Black, who collided a few seconds later with Bellatrix Black who could have won a ballet award at that particular moment. _Merlin's beard, saying they don't look happy would be the greatest understatement of the year._

Cathleen giggled as she glimpsed a red-faced Lucius Malfoy practicaly suffocating with anger as he had to climb on his house table and start dancing a lively salsa with Avery and Nott. _Except if it's a Batchata. _( A/N: That's another latino-american dance)

Similar things were happening at the Hufflepuf and Ravenclaw tables, but "surprisingly" the Gryffindors were spared and were all howling with mirth.

_The Marauders. I should have guessed. Who else?_

For a couple of seconds, Cathleen tried to act as a prefect and stay serious but soon joined the general fun while beside her, Lily seemed torn between amusement and exasperation.

A few minutes later, the panting, twirling, swaying students were let to fall back down on the benches or on the floor and most of them started laughing after a rather short while.

Even most of the teachers seemed amused and some of them where actually trying not to smile, except for Dumbledore who was actually wiping tears of mirth from his eyes and not bothering to hide it.

Cathleen noticed someone standing right in front of her and looked up in the rather anxious face of Sirius Black.

"Listen Cathleen, I'm really sorry. Really. Are we still friends?"

Cathleen stared at him, a bit taken aback, then felt her heart, who had been weighting down her stomach, soar.

"Of course I want to be your friend!"

Sirius grinned, looking relieved, and thumbed up Lupin behind his back, apparently thinking she couldn't see it.

"So, ready for double Care of Magical Creatures? You took the subject if I remember right, didn't you?" he asked.

**This is all for the moment. Once again, please review!**

**And once again, thanks to all the wonderful people who already did so, I really can't thank you enough. This story would never have gotten this far without you!**

**Love, Sandcat.**


	9. Flying and Untimely Tarts

**Unuseful disclaimer: We do not own HP (surprise!) just Cathleen and the other OC's. JK is welcome to them thought, over a large part of profit of course (rubbing hands together).**

**The update took a bit longer this time, sorry to the people who reviewed. Do you guys realize we got only four reviews for last chapter? If at least all the people who had us on their favorites/alerts reviewed, we would have 5 or 6 reviews per chapter!**

**That added to the end of term tests our teachers bombarded us with slowed us down a lot.**

**On with chapter nine!**

**By the way, we decided to follow Sharada87's advice and use quotation marks when people talk, so it slowed us down too as we went back and changed all the chappies to match this one.**

**Cathleen POV**

Cathleen made her way to the clearing where they had Care of Magical Creatures feeling as thought she would burst. Sirius had actually apologized to her! A few weeks ago, that would have been unthinkable. Had he really changed? Maybe she should give him a chance?

She shook her head. No. She really liked him, but she knew that his girlfriends never lasted more than a week and she didn't want that to happen to her.

"Cathleen? You okay?"

She turned toward Sirius and smiled at him. _Merlin, he really is handsome._

" Yeah. I was just thinking about your prank," she lied.

"Oh. Did you see McGonnagall? She was red enough to become our official Griffyndor mascot. I mean, I'm a Marauder, but I don't want to be sent to Azkaban because I murdered a teacher..."

"And did you notice that Dumbledore found the show extremely amusing?"

Sirius guffawed.

"No, I didn't. I was to busy exiting the hall I suppose."

"Now now, quiet down everybody," said professor Kettleburn, striding into the clearing, followed by...

"Thestrals" breathed out Sirius.

"You can see them?" asked Cathleen.

"You too?"

They both glanced at each other uneasily.

"See what?" asked James loudly, squinting in the direction of the professor who dumped a juicy and enormous raw steak on the ground.

"See what?" he repeated, looking at the steak. "Bloody shit! What's eating the meat?"

"Mister Potter!" shouted professor Kettleburn, sounding scandalized. "Keep a civil tongue in your mouth! Those are Thestrals! Now, who can see them?"

Cathleen, Sirius, Remus, and two or three other students raised shaky hands.

"Err... Professor?" asked Yasmeen Jalmerl, a 7th year Ravenclaw, hesitantly. "Aren't those supposed to be... dangerous?"

There was a stir in the watching students as they eyed the disappearing steaks direction.

"I think not, miss Jalmerl, and I don't see why you should be afraid as they have been pulling the school carriages for the last few years. Don't tell me you actually thought those carriages moved all by themselves?"

Cathleen couldn't choke back a giggle at the student's bemused expressions.

"I'd say they did." she whispered to Sirius, who let out a bark of laughter.

**Lily POV**

"So Lily, do you regret not taking CMC?"

Lily turned toward James, frowning.

"Not taking what?"

"CMC. Care of Magical Creatures."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"You guys are just so annoying sometimes. Can't you call things by their name?"

James chuckled and absentmindedly rumpled his hair, throwing a look at the lake. They were sitting propped up against a weeping willow and basking in what looked to be one of the last warm days of the year.

A group of students was feeding dry bread to the giant squid and tickling its tentacles while the ones in class enviously stared out of the windows, much to the teachers growing exasperation. James grinned as a sudden idea came to him. _Uh oh. Not a good sign._

"So Lilyflower, doesn't it look like the perfect day to teach you how to fly?"

"W...what? But Potter, I don't know how to fly, what if I fall off?"

"You won't fall off because I'll be holding you, and as for not knowing how to fly... well, now is the moment to learn!"

"Potter, I am not getting on a broom with you!"

"Oh, you want to get on one alone? And I'm called James Potter, not Potter Potter "

"I don't want to get on a broom at all _Potter_!" Lily glanced at his face. "And stop looking like that! It's no. There are faster and more practical ways than brooms to get around."

"Please Lilykins?"

Lily faltered.

"All right..."

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

_I should never have agreed. Brooms are jerky, and frankly uncomfortable. Merlin, I'm not even moving yet and I think I'm going to fall._

_Or throw up._

_On Potter._

_Then he might let me get down._

_What is that idiot saying now?_

"So, ready to enjoy the ride?"

_Yeah, alright. Prepare to be covered in vomit James._

"Err... Lily? You look a bit green. And for the giant's squid sake, relax!" James looked at her doubtfully. "Maybe I should climb up with you..."

Without waiting for an answer, he easily climbed up behind Lily and reached around her to catch the broom handle, ending with both arms around her waist.

_Normally this is where I'd push him off if I wasn't so bloody scared of falling._

"You know, Sirius said Cathleen didn't even flinch once even when he flew straight for the wall."

"That's because she had her eyes closed."

"Oh." James considered that and grinned. "She did open them after a while, thought?"

"Well... Yeah, a bit, at least that's what she told me"

"And wouldn't you consider opening your eyes a bit sooner than that? Don't tell me my Flower is scared?"

Lily started, turned around and glared at him.

"How the hell did you know I had my eyes closed?"

"Well" James replied with a huge grin, "If they were open you would have already shouted or gasped before we got this high."

"I don't..." Lily frowned. _Wait __a_ _minute_. "This high?"

She glanced downward and shrieked. The treetops seemed to be miles away and the ground was even farther away. She could see the whole school from that high up and it was beautiful.

Beautiful?

No.

Scary.

The broom wobbled slightly Lily whimpered.

"Please Potter, let me down and I swear I'll let you curse Snape all you want and never give you detention."

"Nope. Relax Lily, you're stiff as a board! Do you really think I'll let you drop?"

Lily was surprised at how caring and a bit sad at the fact that she didn't trust him his voice sounded. She closed her mouth on the ironic comeback she was about to blurt out and shivered.

"I would never let you down," he said even lower, letting go of the unmoving broom and tightening his arms around her. Lily felt suddenly secure even thought she was higher than she had ever been and almost comfortable. She sighted and James grinned as he felt her relax slightly.

"Better, he said in a soothing voice. "Don't be scared of falling because it won't happen as long as I'm with you."

Lily turned around and hesitantly looked at him, realizing a fraction of a second too late that as a result her face ended up only a few inches from his.

_He has really warm eyes, sort of chocolate or light hazel, I could almost read his thoughts in them. They're so deep... Merlin, I think I should look away... _Lily blinked and automatically looked down, before remembering where she was and grabbing hold of the broom with a startled cry.

"Steady there Lily!" said James, keeping her from losing her balance before catching on to the handle once again. "I think that's enough for today..." his voice was strangely veiled and he sounded somewhat disappointed or troubled, she couldn't really tell. He sighted, leaned forward, and the broom (Which Lily was starting to hate less and less) slowly floated back down to the ground.

Lily was left with a lot of things to ponder on.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

_September 19th, midday, in the Great Hall_

_THERE'LL BE AN AUTUMN BALL!!! Oh Merlin, I can't believe it! If I wasn't scared James would curse them afterwards, I would kiss the current Head Boy and Girl! _

_Oh Merlin Merlin Merlin that is just so great! For the moment, only us prefects know, but we'll tell the rest of the school as soon as we decide on the theme and it's going to cause a total uproar! _

_In fact the rest of the school will know only after we chose our outfits (That wasn't my idea and I find it a bit mean for the others)._

_I wonder who'll go with who?_

"Heya Lily"

"Oh, hi Cathleen! How was CMC? err... I mean Care of Magical Creatures?"

Cathleen dropped beside Lily with a sight.

"Not so bad, I mean, we did Thestrals so it wasn't too boring... especially not with Sirius there... What did you do during those two hours?"

"I had Runes during the second and during the first...Well" Lily blushed "James took me flying."

Cathleen whistled. "James? This is getting serious."

Lily opened her mouth. "...

"Oh no you don't!" shouted Cathleen, shoving a piece of tart in Lily's mouth and missing.

"FOOD FIGHT!" shouted Anna-Maria.

Sirius, who had just received the flying piece of tart in the face, picked up a huge pot of noodles and emptied it over James head, who immediately retaliated by flinging soup in a wide arc and drenching half a dozen students who leaped on the occasion to jump in the brawl.

Soon chicken, cakes, pasties, ice creams, beans, and every other kind of food imaginable were flying thick and fast while McGonnagall, the only one who would have been able (or willing) to stop everyone at the first sight of the disturbance, was attempting to swallow a particularly large piece of fudge that had hit her square in the face.

The uproar was about to mutate in a general inter-house competition when McGonnagall finally managed to clear her mouth.

"Lupin! Detention for throwing food at your professors! Willows, same! Don't think I'm deaf! Merlin himself must have heard you shout. The rest of you clean up everything and I want the Hall to be spotless when you're done!"

**What do you want the theme for the ball to be? Please give us ideas! Reviews are still and always will be greatly appreciated, constructive ones even more:-)**

**IMPORTANT: We'll be going to Greece for the whole summer so this is probably the last chapter until the end of August... and guess what would make us very happy when we come back? Reviews!  
**

**Don't be too angry! (lol...)**

**I'm so happy because we'll be having a ball at our school too on the fifth of July! Yay!**

**Thanks to all reviewers and hope everyone enjoyed the story. **

**Love! **

**Sandcat**


	10. Important Questions and Discussions

**Hi everyone!!! sorry once again for the extra-long wait!!! So... the end-of-term ball we had at the end of last year was one of the best moments of my life, and vacation was great too, but now, back to work!**

**Disclaimer: JK didn't ask us for our OC's yet so yeah, no profit for the moment... And obviously, we aren't JK, because selling our OC's to ourself wouldn't be very logical. Come to think of it what I just wrote down doesn't sond very logical either, did it?**

Sirius POV

Sirius finished brushing his hair passed his fingers through it. It was still very damp, but at least it didn't have random pieces of food in it anymore. _Who could've guessed Anna-Maria had it in her to have such a great idea? Well yeah, she always was the most... Marauderish of the three. But I do wonder why Cathleen tried to stuff a piece of tart in Lily's mouth? _He flopped down on his bed and grinned at the cieling. He was so happy to be friends with Cathleen again! She was... special. Definitevly special. Not a long-legged blond, but she was pretty anyways, with her chestnut curls and ocean eyes and soft look. He blinked and sat up as Peter started desperateley pounding on the bathroom door in which James had barricaded himself half an hour ago.

«James » he wailed « Hurry up! I've got soup all over myself! What the hell are you doing?! »

Sirius rolled off his bed and absentmindedly thumped Peter lightly on the head with a heavy textbook, making him topple over and whack his arm on the bedpost.

« Yeah, you now what? I never thought I'd hear myself saying that, but yeah, Peter's right. Are you trying to drown or what? »

a disembodied voice answered him from through the downpour of water and Sirius dropped back down.

« At least he's still alive. »

Remus glared at him.

« James? » he asked. « Is it Lily? What happened this time? »

A few minutes later, James sat down beside them on their favorite couch in the common room and blinked when Peter scurried off, grumbling:  
« Finally »

« So Jamesie, what happened this time? Did she turn you down once again? »

« No »

« Slap you? »

« No »

« Curse you to pieces and scatter them around the grounds? »

« What!? Of course not! »

« SO? What happened? »

« No. Er... What? »

« What happened? »

James sighted and quickly recounted what had happened in the quidditch pitch.

« So? » he asked. « She'll kill me now won't she? »

« Of course not! » said Remus earnestly, grinning. « It's a great thing! Hey, I'm sure she likes you a lot more than before! »

« You think so? » asked James uncertainly.

« I'm sure » answered Remus reassurringly. He poked Sirius hard in the back.

« Ouch! What!? » Remus glared at him. « Er, yeah, sure. » He finished, gazing toward the corner where Cathleen and Anna-Maria were whispering away in earnest voices. He sighted and got up, made his way toward the girls and dropped down beside Cathleen, grinning at her. His smile widened as he saw her blush slightly and he turned toward Anna-Maria, noticing something missing.

« Anna? Where's Lily? »

Anna-Maria twitched slightly and blinked before turning toward Cathleen, half opening her mouth, closing it, and hesitating a moment before finally saying:  
« In the, er bathroom, er, washing »

« Really? She really should try marrying James then, he spent hours in it today » he stated lightly, his brain whirring. _What the hell is happening here? Anna may be a lot of things, but she's not really a good liar -at least, not when she doesn't have an excuse ready- so, where's Lilykins? _

He stored the problem away for later as he noticed Cathleen's Transfiguration essay lying forlornly on the table. He picked it up and grinned.

« Hey, great! You did that bloody essay! Can I take it and copy? »

« What? Do it yourself, it isn't very difficult » Cathleen argumented half-heartedly.

« Please? » he cocked his head at her. « please please please please please please please please please please... »

« OK OK » Cathleen smiled. « Idiot »

« What! Me? An idiot? You wounded me very deeply Cathleen »

« That's because you know I'm right. »

He blinked, chuckled, and started laughing, quickly joined by Cathleen and Anna-Maria.

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)

**Lily POV**

_September 19th, (again) very late (again)_

_So, I dropped my stuff (again) while I was in the common room and of course my bloody quills rolled under the bloody common room couches so I had to bent down and pick the stupid things up. So while I was looking like a duck with its head underwater (except mine was under the couch) guess who sat down without noticing me? ( because I was incidentally, behind the thing) Yeah, you've all got it right, the infamous marauders. So once James had gotten there, they started talking, and oh Merlin I never knew the poor guy liked me that much! I would have been much nicer when turning him down. After a while Sirius departed and I had to wait another ten minutes for everyone else to leave before I could sit up and try to keep whatever scraps of dignity I had left while I made my way up to the dormitory. Once I got there, I had to answer Cathleen and Anna-Maria about what I heard and only after that did I have the time to lay down and think it over. And now my wrist hurts because I wrote too quickly. Hey by the way, did I tell Anna and Cathleen about the ball?_

_Oh Merlin merlin I forgot! They're just gonna kill me!_

(Cough)

« Errm... » (cough) « Cathleen? »

« Huh? » Came a sleepy voice from Cathleen's bed.

« Is Anna-Maria sleeping? »

« NO. But I WAS. »

« Oh. Sorry. » Lily sighted. « I just wanted to tell you there'll be a ball »

« A WHAT! A ball? »

Cathleen sat up and stared at Lily.

« Yeah, but we don't know the theme yet. »

Anna-Maria rolled in a sitting position, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

« Oh I just hope Remus will invite me! »

Lily sighted. _Would I like James to invite me or not? Why don't I know? Would I accept if he did? _Lily closed her eyes ans lay back down before sitting bolt upright.

« Anna! You're awake! »

Cathleen and Anna-Maria both stared at her before bursting out in laughter.

« Lily » coughed out Anna. « I always knew you didnt't... didn't always pay att..attention to what happens around you, but that, it defies the imaginable! »

Lily sighted and sank down on her pillows.

« I hope James will invite me » She said quietly.

Anna-Maria and Cathleen both froze and stared at her disbelievingly.

«Well, » said Anna-Maria finally. « Looks like our Lily just decided to give Jamesie a chance! What made you change your mind about him? »

« I... He's just a lot nicer this year, that's all! » Lily blushed.

Anna smiled. « So you did notice, did you? Looks like he finally grew up in the end. How about you Cathleen? With who would you want to go? »

Shadows danced on the wall as Cathleen shifted uneasily.

« I...I don't really know » she said uncertainly, in a quiet voice.

A frown creased Lily's brow as she propped up on her elbows and stared at Cathleen's unmoving form.

« You don't want to go with Sirius? And don't turn your back to us when we're talking about important things like these! »

Cathleen turned around.

« I really like Sirius, but... All his girlfriends finished up crying, almost, but what I'm sure of is that he never stayed friends with any of them and I want to stay his friend. It's.. It's just complicated. »

« So basically you don't want him to ask you to the ball? »

« Y...No...I don't know! »

Anna-Maria blinked.

« Merlin Cathleen, no need to shout! What do you mean « I don't know »? »

« It's... I half want him to ask and half want him not to ask. »

The sheets rustled as Cathleen shook her head and rolled over on her back.

« Just don't listen to me, OK? » she asked. « I'm just being stupid. »

« Of course not » exclaimed Lily reassuringly. « Things are just plain complicated sometimes and all we have to do is try to get on with it. Don't worry, things'll turn out ok! They always do in the end. »

« You two are just the best friends in the world. »

Lily smiled. _ When did things have the time to become so complicated between Cathleen and Sirius? I thought I remembered her telling us she wouldn't fall for him? Still, I strangely have the impression it wouldn't be a very good idea to mention that right now..._

(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O)(O

Lily spread a thick layer of strayberry jam on her slice of bread, glaring fiercly at her plate. _Why, why in the name of Merlin do we have to start by double potions with the Slytherins? I mean, trying to promote « Inter-house cooperation » is a great idea and all, but don't those people realise that if they keep doing that, there'll be a mass murder in potions class? Or that the dungeons might explode and bring down the castle with them?_

« Oi Lily! If glares could kill you would already have burned a hole through the table! So tell me, what's the problem? »

James sat down in front of her grinning, and she couldn't help but smile back.

« You can tell me anything Lilyki...Lily, your secrets are safe with me! » he declared, pulling on a falsely solemn look.

Lily giggled.

« James you idiot! I was just looking forward to double potions! »

The Marauder toppled off the benches.

« What!?! Double Potions!?! Right now in the morning!?! And with the SLYTHERINS!?! »

Lily winced as every student in the great hall turned around to look at them.

**So that's the end of chapter 10! Sorry for the rather crappy writing but I did the whole thing alone without ANY help (sticks out tongue at « Sand ») and yeah, having to restart writing and going to school was UNBEARABLY tiring...**

**IMPORTANT VOTE:**

**So here are the possible themes for the ball:**

**1: Masked ball**

**2:Costumed ball**

**3:Pool party (talking place in the great hall)**

**4: Bubble Party (Can be combined with any of the other themes)**

**Drop in a review to vote! We want AT LEAST FIFTEEN VOTES.**

**And don't worry (If you did that is) We'll never ever drop a story without saying why or warning you.**

**Tons of brownies and Swiss chocolate and delicious greek sweets like kourabiedes or loukoums or baclava or kadaïfi to all of you! (oh, and galactoboureko is delicious too)**

**(And er... I'm not sure those sweets are called like that in english)**

**Love,**

**Sandcat**


End file.
